Take Me Away
by phrozen-heart
Summary: CHAPTER 6 UP! Rinoa has been betrayed by her beloved boyfriend and now, she is a victim of a malicious scheme. Who is wrong? Who is right? A SquallRinoa pairing. R&R please!
1. Let's go on a Mission!

**Disclaimer:** Anything that you recognize from Final Fantasy 8 belongs to Squaresoft!

**Author's note:** This is my second fanfic and this time it's Final Fantasy 8! I was bored and decided to write this little ficcie. I suck at beginnings. Couldn't find an inspiration! So, I typed what came to my head and here it is! Hope you enjoy it!

**Chapter 1 : Let's go on a ****Mission****!**

"Squall. Squall, please report to the Headmaster's office. I repeat. Report to the Headmaster's office."

            The brunette groaned and lazily got up. Ruffling a gloved hand through his hair, he let out a sigh and pushed himself off onto his feet and made his way past the carpark, the training center and the library along the circular corridor. 

He passed by a group of giggling girls, a guy he had seen often, Marty of something, and another boy sitting alone on a bench. But not even one of them said 'Hi!' or 'how's it going?'. It was as though he was invisible. Who could blame them? Besides, he didn't care. It wasn't like he was popular. His name was only spoken by the few who actually knew him.

As the elevator door slid open, his eyes briefly scanned the well-decorated room and spotted Xu standing by the two large doors leading into the bureau.

"Afternoon, Squall. Headmaster Cid's got something important to discuss with you. I don't know what's wrong with him, but since a few days ago, he's been really distressed. Maybe you could help him."

_Yeah, whatever._

Inside, he turned to see the headmaster deep in thought, sitting in his armchair with some documents spread out all over his desk.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

Noticing that he wasn't alone he looked up. "Ah, yes. Squall Leonhart, is it? I've been briefing through your records and I think I am right in saying that you are the most capable in handling tough situations particularly those of demanding clients."

_You think so? Hmph._

"Three days ago, I've received a call from a mysterious person who refused to identify himself. Usually, we don't co-operate with such clients, but after rethinking the whole matter, I've decided to accept his request. After all, his, or rather, her problem sounds urgent."

_Just tell me what I gotta do, and I'll do it. Stop telling me all this crap._

"Now, before I go over your instructions, I want you to gather two other trustworthy SeeDs of your choice."

"Yes, sir." _Why didn't you just pick out anyone to go with me like you always do? It's not like I have much to choose from._

As though reading his mind, Cid answered, "I want you to have a wide range of options. Dismissed."

_Whoa, creepy._

***

 - At the Quad - 

_This week's Quistis's week off. Where's that Zell? He wasn't in the canteen. Don't tell me he got himself sick again. _

Making his way down a flight a stairs, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, there, cutie. If you're not busy tonight, maybe we could.."

SLAP!

"Ow! Hey, c'mon! I know you want me~!" A girl in Garden uniform was stomping away, past Squall. _Wow, talk about red!_

And, there was Irvine, turned down yet again by another girl. Rubbing his right cheek, he smiled a satisfied smile. "Hehe…Rule no. 5: if a girl slaps you, her intentions are still good. Oh yeah, she wants me." Imagining he was holding a pistol, he lifted his hand and shot and imaginary pellet in the girl's direction and later, blew the tip of his finger. 

            Twisting his lips back down, he noticed Squall and nodded his head, acknowledging him with a 'what's up?' look clearly visible on his naughty face. 

_Ugh…What choice do I have?_

"Look, the headmaster's got a mission for us. Something urgent," said Squall, rolling his eyes.

"What? I don't think I heard that."

Squall groaned and began sounding annoyed, in a sarcastic tone, "There's a damsel in distress who needs you help dearly."

"Well, why didn't say so? C'mon! Let's go see the big man!" he exclaimed with a tone of sudden interest.

"Hold on. We need to find another SeeD to go with us.."

"Grab Selphie and let's go, go, GO! And besides, she's hot!"

"Whatever. So, where is she?"

"I'll go to the little girl's bathroom and…I mean, I'll find her!" shouted Irvine, waving his arms enthusiastically. Squall placed his hand over his forehead and shook his head. _Why'd I have to get the pervert?_ A voice somewhere within replied, '_Because there's no other alternative.' _

Ignoring the playboy, Squall said, "We are to report together." Irvine flopped his hands back down to his sides and hunched his head, feeling dejected. "Let's look for her." He simply walked away, not bothering to call out to Irvine, knowing that he would eventually catch up.

He made his way to the directory. With Irvine walking next to him, he felt like such a jerk, hanging out with a guy like him, cooing at every female. As he was trying to guess where Selphie might be, a little boy ran up to him from out of the blue, with fear in his eyes. 

"AreyouSquall?" he asked quickly, out of breath. When Squall nodded, he hastily continued, "Selphie told me to find you. She needs help in the training center!" 

            On hearing this, Squall and Irvine rushed to the area. As they neared the training center, they could hear a loud, high-pitched voice resounding from inside. It was Selphie's voice but she didn't sound in trouble.

            "HAHAAHHAHA!!!!! I'M GONNA BLOW YOU TO SMITHEREENS! KABOOM!" came the voice again, followed by more vocal booming sounds. Every passer-by was sure to gaze into the corridor with a weird expression on their faces. 

            After a few seconds, a girl, wearing a sort of yellow dress which ended above her knees and high boots, sprinted out of the training center, gripping her nunchaku tight. "Squall! Thank god you're here! But it's okay now. The T-Rex went BOOM! It was sooo cute! You should have seen it!" The brunette seemed confused but the sharpshooter immediately stepped out from behind and clasped Selphie's delicate hands in his.

            "O Selphie…you don't know how important you are to me! You are my light, who heals and protects me from all…"

            "Get real, Irvy!" cutting Irvine off, before he could get to the end of his romantic poem which he claimed to have spent half the night just thinking of the right words. But Irvine persisted with it. Selphie was taking no notice of him and began crying out hysterically how she had exploded the T-rex, explaining every little detail. Somehow or another, Squall was able to survive they're nonsensical talk until they finally reached the headmaster's office to receive their orders.

**Author's note:**  I should be able to update this one pretty soon. Until then, please review!


	2. Reminiscence

**Disclaimer:** FF8 belongs to Squaresoft!

**A/N:    Here's another chapter! My brother keeps reminding me that my time on the computer is up. So annoying! Anyway, please enjoy this chapter. I'm trying to make them longer but not to beat around the bush too much and play around with the words. Oh yea, and please review!**

**Words in italics: Squall's thoughts**

**Chapter 2: Reminiscence**

"Irvine Kinneas and Selphie Tilmitt, you should be honoured to be chosen from over more than a thousand students here today. It proves just how much Squall believes in your abilities."

Irvine coughed at this remark, choking on his saliva. "S-sorry (cough)," he apologized waving his hand over his face. "Dusty."

"Ahem," Headmaster Cid went on, frequently throwing suspicious looks at Irvine. "There have been reports of a string of murders recently. No witnesses to even one, all killed as well, I suppose. The first victim was the head of Timber Maniacs, an old lady related to the head, a scientist in the Esthar Laboratory, and two Galbadian soldiers in Deling City, and all of them were killed on very same night. It has been concluded that there is more than just one mastermind, possibly two."

"Hey, Squall! I thought you said there was a beautiful and elegant lady involved," pleaded Irvine, poking Squall, who had been sleeping with his eyes open, in the ribs.

"Mr. Kinneas, questions later!" barked Cid, annoyed that he should be interrupted. "As I was saying, there are two murderers on the loose. There were no traces of harm whatsoever to the victims bodies, internal and external. The strange part is that no investigations, not even one, have been carefully executed."

"Coming back to the phone call I've received, the caller has informed me of the next victim. Hence, your mission is obvious – to protect this girl ( holds up a picture) and make sure she does not come to any harm at all. She is the only daughter of General Caraway, who resides in Deling City." 

In the photo, there was an image of a young, raven-haired girl, with gleaming, brown eyes. 

"Her name – Rinoa Heartilly."

"Hot chick alert!" chimed Irvine, grinning vigorously, his eyes glued to the raven beauty as he snatched it out of Headmaster Cid's hands. "I knew something good had to happen! I shall now nickname you Rinny and you shall be mine, and you shall be my Rin learned-Muah!" He ended in a half-singing, majestic voice, before planting a quick kiss on the picture.

Grunting, Headmaster Cid continued, "One of you, excluding Selphie, will have to get near her and actually be her boyfriend. That way, either one of you will have a reason to stay by her side and make sure she's safe. Luckily, you have a lady's man on your side!" 

"You got that right!" smirked Irvine, beaming with pride. "And that man is.."

Cid placed a hand on Squall's shoulders and gave him a proud, distinguished look. "Right here." 

_Don't you dare look at me that way. _

But Irvine protested after recovering from his shock, temporarily taking his eyes off the picture. "Hey….!! Hey, hey, hey! He? A lady's man? Aw, c'mon! What does he got that I don't? Is he more handsome than me? Is he a better fighter than me? Is he a better slow-curve perpetrator?" He swung his arm around and pumped what biceps he had and added, "Is he more BUFF THAN ME?? HUH? WHICH ONE IS IT?? TELL ME!!" 

"Umm…let's see," suggested Selphie raising her hand into air. "He's a better leader, more calm and not so stuck-up as you. Sure, you may be better at handling a gun, but he's got the brains. But, ahhh…, I got no comments on who's more buff, or a better 'slow-curve'_ doer, or who's the good-looking one among you two. So…like…isn't it obvious?"_

_Oh please._

The headmaster, getting frustrated with all the noise in his usually confined and peaceful office, groaned aloud and went on rattling the rest of the information as though he had memorized it, "Board a train from Balamb town to Timber. From there, take another train to the East Academy Station and make your way through the plains and you'll find Deling City. You should make it to Balamb Town by nightfall. I advise you to rest at the hotel so that you can have a fresh start in the morning. Thank you! Now out! OUT!"

***

Making their way to Balamb, Selphie suddenly brought up the question: "Hey, Squall. You're suppose to attach yourself to this Rinoa girl, right? But what about Quistis? Aren't you guys together? Don't you think she'll be sad, even mad?"

_Technically, yes.  _

Squall merely answered, "This is a mission and she has to understand. As SeeDs, we cannot allow our emotions to take over."

"But still…"

Irvine, still feeling gloomy not being chosen over Squall, took this chance to regain his name as the Garden's notorious playboy, and spoke up, "Hey, look here, man. A woman's heart is not a rulebook, no matter how disciplined or regimented she is. Get what I mean? You mean a lot to Quistis. You of all people should understand that."

_You don't have to remind me._

"Irvine, I never knew you had such a way with words. You're kinda cute…when you're not a complete idiot," commented the open-minded Selphie, skipping all the way.

"My pleasure, m'lady," hummed Irvine, bowing.

"There you go being an idiot again," teased Selphie, giving Irvine a wink.

***

True enough, when they arrived in Balamb town it was already dark. Their legs were sore from all the walking, so they decided to follow Cid's suggestion. After sending a brief greeting to Zell's mom, they took a bend and entered the hotel.

"Excuse me, is there a room available?" queried Squall when he got to the reception desk.

"Yes, sir. That will be 100 gil for the night."

A room key and gil changed hands. Squall muttered, "Thanks."

Both Irvine and Selphie fell asleep almost immediately as they let their tired bodies collapse onto the ready, soft beds. Squall was left alone, able to concentrate on his own thoughts quietly. As he stood there on the balcony, enjoying the light breeze, Irvine's and Selphie's words suddenly crept its way back into his mind. That night was very much the same. He recounted how Quistis had actually confessed her love to him that night two weeks ago.

~Flashback~

It was during the night of the Garden Festival, outside on the veranda. Quistis had called him to come out to talk about 'something'. She started off by saying that it was a lovely night. _How lame, he had thought back then. A few silent minutes passed and, at last, she decided to tell him what she was really up to._

"Squall…the reason I called you out here was because I wanted to talk. Well, it's about me and…my feelings to a certain SeeD. You."

"What about it?" Squall asked, leaning against the railing, as though the current subject was not unusual but meaningless.

"E-ever since I saw you, I felt this tingling sensation, this strange feeling of wanting to be with you. I thought it was just how an instructor felt for her student. But…but, now I know I can't run away from what's really in…here." Placing a hand onto her chest, she finally braved herself to raise her eyes to meet with Squall's cold, crystal blue eyes fixed on her. She was blushing furiously but she made no attempt to hide her face. 

Squall could not think of a proper answer. He sighed and returned his gaze to the soothing, wide ocean, which he could see from the Garden; the waves splashing gently on the beaches. The young blonde was suffering from the tension playing in her mind, waiting patiently for Squall's reaction and words. Another five minutes had ticked away, but still, Squall said nothing. Wanting to escape the situation, he managed to utter in a sort of a croak. "Whatever."

"So…are we, you know…together?" asked an ear Quistis, praying hard that the reply was favorable.

 _Can't she stop nagging?! She's driving me nuts!_

"Whatever. Just leave me alone for now."

"Oh! Thank you, Squall! Thank you! You don't know how important you are to me!" Quistis would have given Squall a big hug then, but pushed the thought away. Instead, she burst into tears of joy and couldn't control her lips from forming a huge grin. 

_What the hell! I didn't even say 'yes'! Hyne, what is she thinking?!_

Quistis, happy with Squall's 'respond' left the balcony and returned back inside, not before swirling round and giving her 'new boyfriend' one last look and a quick cry of "Good night."

Squall, simply not bothering with what had just happened, glanced back towards the night sky.

Somehow, the stars seemed duller that night.

~End flashback~

He turned back and walked to Irvine's bedside. He quietly slid the picture of his 'target' out from the cowboy's bear hug. For the first time, he actually looked at her. Come to think of it, she didn't seem as bad as he had first seen her.

_What am I thinking? Better get some rest now._

He put the picture back down on the bed and flopped down onto a separate one. Lying stretched out on the bed with both the palm of his hands at the back of his head, he slowly lifted up the cautious aura surrounding him and dozed off to sleep.

***

"RISE AND SHINE, SQUALLY WALLY!!!"

"Raghh…"

"UP, UP AND AWAY!" Selphie screamed again.

"Ok!Ok! I'm up," groaned Squall, "You don't have to shout! You've probably woken up the other people around here."

"Oops!" Selphie giggled and stuck her tongue out to the side.

"Where's Irvine?"

"He said he was going to uhh…what was it again?...Oh right! Check out the neighborhood chicks. Sounds like fun! Here chicken, chicken..!" 

"Whatever. Let's just forget about him and get to the pod."

"Ummm…..ok!"

Both of them headed down the stairs with Selphie marching ahead. As they walked around towardsthe train station, they saw many young women. One of them had said, "Ouch! See how red my hand is. Maybe I shouldn't have slapped him so hard!"

"What?! Are you kidding? For what he said, you should have slapped him harder!" came another. "Well, it's a good thing he fell into the sea! At least that'll shut him up a while."

_Oh, great._

"Let's go get him before he drowns…"  growled Squall.

When they got to the harbor, they saw a man, soaking wet from head to toe, climb out from the sea. "(Gurgle) Blehh! Salty! If you wanted a drink, you could have asked me nicely, you know!" 

"Hahahaha! Irvine, you look like some seaweed monster!" Selphie couldn't help laughing at Irvine's miserable plight.

"GEE, THANKS!"

Squall was getting impatient, and told Irvine that he would just have to dry up in the train. Of course, Irvine griped with an excuse that he would chase away all the beautiful girls with his smell. People would probably think what kind of cologne he had used. But once again, Squall won. 

The journey in the train was quite dreary and tedious. Not much talk, except for Selphie's high-pitched rambling as she counted the fishes she could see underwater to pass the time. It was suppose to be a ten-minute ride. But it felt more like an hour. 

Finally, they arrived at Timber station where they got off. Making their way through the small town, with every female throwing a disgusted look towards Irvine's direction, they hitched another ride aboard the train to the East Academy Station and walked all the way to Deling City as ordered. 

It was still broad daylight and Deling City didn't look as colorful as it did at night. Nevertheless, the pavements were still filled with bustling crowds of people and vehicles flooding the streets. Selphie kept whining that she wanted to go on a shopping-spree and Irvine begged that they take a rest at the pub. Taking a bus, they proceeded to their main destination – Caraway Mansion.

_Finally. This better be good._

**A/N:** Chapter 2! So how'd you like it. I don't know what else to write here but please REVIEW!


	3. The Game of Love

**Disclaimer: **I DON'T OWN ANY OF THE FF8 CHARACTERS!!!

**A/N:** Nothing much to say here. Exams are still going on but I don't care! I wanna write my stories. I know, I'm a bad girl ^^. Please review, I need your support!!

I love my reviewers!! Thanks ppl!!!!!!

XxPhoenix BladexX

FFgal

Angel Rinoa Heartilly

Evan's Rinoa

Cheryl6124

Mariko

Amber Tinted

Tw1light

**Chapter 3: The Game of Love**

"Irvine, you do it." 

"What's wrong, almighty Squall? Can't handle a seventeen-year-old girl?"

_My reasons are none of your business._ He grumbled in disgust, "Someone has to go around town to gather some information on this Rinoa girl. Selphie'll stay with you and make sure you don't do anything stupid. Also, like you said, I already…have Quistis and I don't want things to get out of hand."

"Awww, I knew you had a kind soul somewhere deep inside," Selphie declared, showing her puppy dog eyes.

"Whatever."

"Anything you say, Leader."

_Shut up._

Squall turned around and trudged away, hoping that Irvine would not screw things up. Squall hated people. He just wanted to be alone. _Great.__ Where do I start? The brunette forced himself through the crowd and without noticing it, made his way to the funny-looking building. (where they actually trapped Edea during the parade. Sorry! Don't know what it's called) Suddenly, he noticed a familiar blonde walking towards his direction. __Seifer__! What's he doing here?_

"Hey there, Squall. Shouldn't you be back at the Garden?" he remarked cynically. "Oh, don't tell me you got yourself lost again." 

"Whatever."

"Why don't you go back to that beloved 'Garden' of yours? That damned place is filled with people like you. You're wasting your time here."

"…I'm wasting my time talking to people like you," Squall turned and stalked away.

"Running away, Squall? You always run. What a coward."

This made Squall stop in his tracks. He retraced his steps and, without hesitation, introduced Seifer's cheek to his fist.

***

Knock, knock!

Almost immediately, the door swung open, revealing a young lass in a sky blue, cotton knit dress with its front open tied together by two strips that served as clasps. Irvine's eyes trailed down her body (Irvine: Oooo, slender).Having examined the picture countless of times, he recognized her in a second. "Target spotted." Putting on his slyest look, he chuckled and muttered in a low, mature voice.

"Hi, there."

The girl showed no response at first but soon her eyes brighten up. His charm was definitely working.

"Ah, you must be one of Zone's messengers! Man, he always gets a stomachache and Watts is left behind…again," said Rinoa, faking an upset stomach and squatting down. Regaining her original position, she spoke, "Here's the message. Make sure no one reads it, understood? It's extremely private. Deliver it to the address as stated on the back of the paper. I don't trust the mail anymore. My so-called dad is sure to pry into the letterbox and read it. He won't let me out of sight even once ever since 'that'… incident. Besides, I trust Zone's intuition, though this time, he picked a weird choice."

Irvine was clearly confused. His mouth was hanging open and looking at Rinoa with a dumb look glued onto his face.

"C'mon! What happened to your womanizing expertise??" Selphie was stifling a snicker, careful not to acquire unwanted attention.

Rinoa sighed and grabbed the cowboy's hands. Feeling something warm and soft make contact with him, Irvine came back to his senses. "Wow, we're holding hands already?"

"No, silly. Leave it to Zones to find me a 'proper' envoy. Here," sighed Rinoa, carefully placing a small piece of paper into Irvine's open hand. "Handle it with care." Suddenly, there was a door closing from within the house. "Oh, no! Gotta run! Don't tell anyone about this little meeting of ours, ok?" With that, she disappeared once more into the precincts of the confined mansion. 

As soon as the coast was clear, Selphie came out from her hiding place and dragged Irvine back onto the sidewalks.

"Wow, that's the first time I see the King of Girls speechless," teased Selphie.

"Hey, she didn't even give me a chance to talk!" Irvine disputed, shrugging his shoulders. "At least my efforts could get a hand on this." Bringing the paper up to eye level, Selphie excitedly swiped it out and read the address: Room 761, Galbadian Hotel.

"Well, should we read it?" Selphie popped the question up and looked at the letter intently.

"Heh, why not? She said it was 'extremely private'," mocked Irvine, stressing on the last two words. "It might help us on our current mission."

It read:

_            Hey. Sorry it took me so long to reply. I know you've been pretty busy the last few weeks. I heard you were in town, so maybe we could meet up sometime. My dad's gonna have a meeting with the council, later. Could you spare a few minutes to see me later downtown, pretty please? At the main road junction near the entrance? I have lots of things I want to tell you. _

_Love always, Rinoa._

"Whoa, there's even a 'love always'. Must be her boyfriend," exclaimed Selphie excitedly. "Ho ho ho. Squall's got a rival!"

"Ye-, hey! Whaddya mean Squall? Aren't I the main character in this romantic play?" boasted Irvine. 

"Not anymore. Now, all Rinoa thinks of you is a messenger or something. Your part's over~! But, Squall…"

"Okay.Okay! He's better than me! I can take a hint, you know," snarled Irvine, crestfallen.

***

"Look what we've found Squall!" Selphie squealed eagerly, waving the 'love letter' in front of his face. "It's a 'lub leta'!! But it ain't for you! You're back in the spotlight, you know!"

"Yea, yea! Squall always gets the big jobs while we're just backup," grumbled Irvine, refusing to look at Squall.

"What do you mean?" uttered the confused brunette. Selphie began to elucidate the whole encounter with Rinoa and the contents of the letter. Squall furrowed his eyebrows, a sign in him of strong mental work_._

_ I never knew he had such feelings. But it can't be him. There's not enough proof – probably just a coincidence. But there's always a possibility. _(Shakes his head and sighs) _She's head over heels for a useless guy like him. The same skeptical voice that had haunted him for years suddenly voiced up, "You think you are a better player in this game of love? You don't even have the guts. With a personality like yours, how can you win the girl's heart?" _You never know unless you try. If that bastard can do it, why can't I?__

"Any ideas on what we should do now?" asked Selphie, casting a wistful look towards Squall.

"I know exactly what to do."

**A/N:** Actually, I don't know WHAT to do!!!!!!! Help please. I need you kind ppl out there to help me answer a few questions, please?

1. Should they send the letter or not?

2. Who among the entire ff8 cast should Rinoa get close to, just as friends?

3. What should Squall do?

Three questions only. Thank you thank you thank you! Chappie 4 will be up soon!! …in a month of two…. 

Until then, please review!!

 __


	4. Lost Hope

**Disclaimer:** Not mine!

**A/N:** Exams are over lalala OVER!!! I finally found out the word for the funny-looking building I wrote in chapter 3!!!! Yippee! It's an arch…right?...RIGHT??? Or maybe arc. I think I have dilly-dallied long enough. Time for Squall and Rinoa to meet face to face. So here goes.

(italics)     - Squall's thoughts 

"(italics)" - the voice that constantly irks Squall's thoughts.

'italics'     - Rinoa's thoughts

**I know it may be confusing but please bear with me.**

HUGE thank you to:

Tw1light

FFgal

Evan's Rinoa

XxPhoenix BladexX

Absinthe Faerie

Seifer's Incarnate

Natsu

Jessi3   

I feel so loved! XD

**Chapter 4** – Lost Hope

Rinoa slammed the door shut as quietly as she could but a bit too fast. Her father's voice heard this and inquired.

"Who's was that, dear?"

"Ummm.....just some salesman."

"Alright. How do I look? Do I look formal enough?"

"Dad, you always look formal!"

"(chuckle) Guess you're right...Things have changed a lot since I got this post...and met Julia." His face darkened and turned grim as he recalled the painful memory years ago.

"...It's okay, dad. It wasn't your fault."

"I could have protected her....but I didn't..I just let her...." Caraway quickly straightened himself up, shaking his head, "Well, got to look good for the council. Don't want a bad impression. I better be off now. I...might be late tonight."

_"Yes!!" _Inside, Rinoa leapt for joy.

"Get some good sleep, you hear?"

Rinoa plastered on a crooked smile, excitement at the brink of bursting within, until she heard the door close. 

Her father's previous subject made Rinoa think of her past; the tragedy that had fallen upon her late mother, Julia, when she was still a mere child of four, too young then to appreciate a mother's love. 

In just a split second, she had lost her only mother in a road accident. *At least that was what she had been told.* Her father had tried to explain to her that mama had left them to go to a far off place in the beautiful skies above. It was only a few years later was she told the terrible truth. Her only memory of her was the song she had always sung her to sleep. Melodious, sweet yet sad.

Since then, she had devoted herself to finding the culprit who had escaped unharmed during the calamity and inserted this as a minor objective in the operation. However, her efforts were useless. Locating the person responsible was next to impossible. They had no head start whatsoever on whoever it was.

Shoving the thought out of her mind, she concentrated on what should be important then. Making sure that her father had left the compounds, she got herself ready to meet with 'him'.

***

_This is gonna be the 'most intriguing' event in my life…not._

A slight push and the letter was slipped under the door of '761'. First phase complete. Selphie and Irvine had fun fixing Squall up and giving him pointers on how to impress Rinoa.

"Blah..blah blah.."_ Talk, talk, talk_

"Blabber blabber.." _Just leave me alone!!_

"…And when you kiss her, you have to-.." _What the…?_

"I'M NOT GONNA KISS HER!!!" shouted Squall, forcing Selphie and Irvine to take a step back.

"…yet!" added Selphie, with a cheeky smile. 

The sun had already set . Deling City now appeared like the night city it was meant to be. Street lamps lit the entire city and nylon lights began their glittery dance on signboards and advertisements. At last, he made it to the acknowledged junction and waited dreadfully for his prey. 

Unfortunately, both of Selphie and Irvine were obviously too busy with their own business, they didn't notice the blonde traipsing happily past them, whistling a tune.

Meanwhile, Squall was standing lazily, looking like he'd rather fight off monsters right then. To make up for his lack in social skills, and not to mention deafness, he had extremely good eyesight and curse them, spotted Rinoa in a moment. She was in her white dress, picking out her shapely figure well; her hair gently flowing with the light city breeze. _Crap. She's five minutes earlier. Alright, __Irvine__.__ I'll try it your way. I'll murder you if it doesn't work. _

"Hey." _Ugh, this is not me_. 

"Hi. You're not those kind of perverts roaming the streets, are you?"

_I shouldn't have gone on this assignment. I should have forced Irvine into doing this. _

"Hello?"

_Maybe I should go get him right now. But that means I'll be depending on others. Soon, I'll get too used to it and let my guard down. No! I won't surrender. I won't run._

"Excu-use me??"

Squall broke away from his own world for a few seconds and focused on the girl in front of him. _What are **you** looking at? You want to make friends with a pervert? Go find Irvine._

"You know, I saw three peculiar-looking people standing outside the door this afternoon." _Damn, she saw us._ "Don't worry," she continued, noting the boy's sudden change in expression. "I was just looking out for the messenger when you guys showed up. I recognized you from that scar."

"Oh." _Why'd you trust us, then?_

"...You know, my boyfriend has an almost similar one.." _Oh._

"..." Squall remained quiet and folded his arms. "...Yeah. I know.."

"Of course you do. Who would forget that fateful day?" came Seifer's voice from behind, taking Squall unawares. 

"You know each other?" inquired Rinoa.

"Yeah, he's sorta like my 'best buddy'. Recently gave me this he did," remarked Seifer, pointing to a clearly visible bruise on his left cheek, just below the eye. Squall felt Rinoa's soft eyes before turn into a laser-like glare and countered with his famous own. _You wanna have a contest? _

She landed a slap on Squall's face though it didn't hurt at all. She seemed like she wanted to say something but swallowed it down. Instead, she pouted and gave Squall a kick in the shin.

"Yo, Rinoa. It's alright. Wait here a moment. Squall and I need to talk," said Seifer, pulling the brunette a few steps away to stay out from ear contact, secretly pinching the latter enjoyably all the way.

"See her? With my dazzling charm, I was able to attract this beautiful thing you can only dream of." _Sorry, not interested. "Remember the **romantic dream I've always told you about?" **__You're making her sound like some prize. "Squall, Squall, you pitiful boy. We have always competed and gone against each other since we met. But now, I've won. This is something you can **never beat me at." The taller one stalked off, clearly content with his triumph.**_

_Whatever._ _There's no point staying here. _

All of a sudden, there was a cry of terror from the rear. "Rinoa? Rinoa! Where are you?!"__

Squall's eyes widened, a rush of anxiety sweeping through his body. _Oh no!_

He looked up and saw immediately saw the base of a helicopter taking off. A rope ladder was still hanging from its sides and dangling from it was Seifer. _What's he smiling about? _

He quickly made his move, dashed and stretched his hand as far as he could go. 

Missed. _Damn!_

He landed hard on his foot, spraining his ankle a little. But he didn't care. Eyeing a blue Camaro, he leaped into the driver's seat and raced off after the helicopter.

***

"Umph!"

"Stop fidgeting or I'll pummel you!"

"…"

She couldn't see. Everything was so dark. Also the fact that she was blindfolded and gagged with both her hands tied behind her back. She could hear heavy breathings coming from every corner, shuffling sounds and silence again. The air was damp and cold, her back leaning against something of the similar texture.

After a long wait, she heard a voice. "We'll be there in three minutes time. Prepare for the jump." 

'_Jump?!__ What jump??'_

"Get your parachutes, people!"

"Sir, we're one parachute short!"

"We're not."

"But, the girl…sir?"

"Ah, her. We were simply ordered to escort her to the destination at the appointed time. We weren't told how."

"Then,.."

"We'll just throw her off like all other excess cargo."

"But, we were told not to harm her, sir."

"I've prearranged a rather soft landing for her a little distance from the warehouse. If we time it right, she should land there, safe and sound. And if we don't…well, you know."

"…Yes, sir."

Rinoa, scared stiff, felt a pair of hands lifting her up from her spot. _'No! Get your hands off me!'_ She began kicking her legs forcefully into the air blindly, determined to escape somehow. A ray of hope shone amidst the darkness as she felt her foot come in contact with something warm and hard, probably the chin. 

"Ow! This girl's really getting on (Oof!) my nerves! Ack! Here! Have.a.nice.trip!"

But that ray immediately went out as the arms left her and in its place, the chilly air enfolded her. The remaining people on board the flying vessel cackled in satisfaction as they heard the girl's terrified scream growing fainter and fainter until she disappeared from view.

Death was her closest companion now. In just a few more seconds, she would be nothing but a squashed watermelon on the solid ground below. It was natural, though, to think like this. She thought of how her father would react – having losing a wife and now to suffer once more over the death of his only daughter. It would be too much for him. 

She didn't bother to make an effort to save herself. After all, the sky is limitless. It has no boundaries. There was nothing she could possible cling onto, except maybe the soft clouds wooshing past her every two milliseconds. As if that would help much. Her only regret was that she never said goodbye to her loved ones. The opportunity was always there but now it was too late. _'Everyone…I'm sorry..'_

She closed her eyes, wind washing over her face

..and felt the icy cold water.

**A/N:** Yay! I updated earlier than expected. Hehee! If you wanna know what happens next, you gotta read the next chapter! Rinoa still doesn't know the whole truth and in the next chapter (hopefully), she'll find out. So, please don't give up on this story just yet! 


	5. Truth Revealed

**Disclaimer:** I've said this again and again so I don't have to say more, do I?

**A/N:** Holidays have finally started. My results are terrible! But, it's over. Whoopee, I'm free! XD Chapter 5 is here!! I hope you guys will like it! Reviews are greatly appreciated! ^^ 

(italics)     - Squall's thoughts 

"(italics)" - the voice that constantly irks Squall's thoughts.

'italics'     - Rinoa's thoughts

**Chapter 5 – Truth Revealed**

SPLASH!

The wind quickly dissolved in the new watery mass. The blindfold had slipped off during her fall. The first thing she saw was the opening of a sack and all was dark once more.

When she finally came round from her unconsciousness, she found herself in a brightly lit room. Spacious but empty except for the bed in the middle. Everything was white, like a laboratory of some sort. On the wall, very visible, was a camera recording her every move. __

"Hey, sleepy head. It's about time you awoke."

Rinoa swirled around and her eyes fell upon those she knew so well. Seifer.

"Hey! Is this some kind of surprise?" she asked teasingly, leaning forward. "Funny way to start a date."

"You could put it that way," said the other, "This year, things are gonna be different. A whole lot different." 

"Huh? With a loving and caring guy like you, what more could I ask for?" she smiled, blushing.

"The truth."

"What?"

"The truth," he repeated. "To have a father who lies to his very own daughter, it must be wonderful living in a world of fantasy." Seifer was grinning now. "You don't get it do you? Did you really believe that your mother died in a road accident? Hmph, Adel was right. You have no imagination. That's why it's so easy to lure you into a trap."

"A-Are you saying you know how she really...?"

"Died? Oh yeah, I know. Your soft-hearted old man forbade me to ever tell you but I don't care. He doesn't scare me," he chortled. "It's very interesting, really. Let's just say it involves pain and a dash of vodka. But I guess you don't wanna know, do you? It might hurt your already broken heart."

"..Tell me now."

"You see, being a singer can be dangerous. One false step and everything goes down the drain. Where there's fame, there's bound to be rumors. Apparently, one of them hit your dear father hard in the face – Julia was having an affair with one of his soldiers! You never know what a few pints of vodka can do to you. In Caraway's case, the moment he saw Julia, he killed her on the spot. Revenge is sweet. Surprised?"

Rinoa was dumbfounded. She had lost her ability to speak, her legs gave way. 

"Don't break apart just yet. There's more. Unfortunately, you had witnessed this. Though you might have been too young to remember this, your father didn't want to take any chances. Ever since that night, your father has been living in fear. He was so desperate, he ran away from home for two whole months. During that short period of time, he stumbled upon Adel and practically begged for her help. I suppose you can guess what happened now. You had that particular memory erased but with a price. And that, will be my gift to you on your birthday."

"How..can you say all this without a slightest sign of remorse?"

"Because I'm the sorceress's knight."

"But, you…You're not Seifer..Seifer's NOT like this! Where is he?"

"I have always been here, twisting you round my finger," said Seifer sardonically. "In another two days, all the pieces will fall into place. With you, everything is complete." He walked towards the door from which he had entered. "Remember that guy you met an hour earlier? He's suppose to be your knight in shining armor, a worthless SeeD. He can't do much. But, I'm afraid he's going to have to retire early. I've already sent his letter of resignation for him." 

Before he took the final step through the doorway, he added solemnly, "Rinoa, I'm truly sorry for what I have to do to you. It hurts me to see you like this. But, I did it because I care for you. I promised you I'd never hide anything from you. And, now, I'm finally given the chance to prove myself…to others that I can and will make a difference in this uncleansed world. Rinoa, if you care for me as much as I do, you'd understand." 

With that he closed the door, followed by the metal bolts locking from outside, indomitable to keep her there for as long as possible.

_'Adel? Sorceress's knight? I can't believe this is happening …Someone, please, help me.' _

***

Squall had seen people leapt off from the helicopter somewhere in a forest facing the wide, serene ocean. The path was too narrow for any vehicle to go through it. _Guess I'll have to walk it._

The moon was instantly eclipsed as soon as he entered the gloomy woods. It cast its eerie, bluish light penetrating the thick covers of leaves and who knows what. Dry shrubbery rustled around him; twigs cracked beneath his boots. He unsheathed his gunblade, certain that something was not right. _Someone is here, watching me. Whoever you are…I'm ready._

Suddenly, there was a crackle from behind. On instinct, Squall turned around swiftly and brought his weapon to eye-level, straining his eyes to see through the shadows. 

In an instant, a soldier shot himself at Squall, his sword ready to plunge into his heart. Squall was taken aback but managed to side-step the attempted assault.

"Argh!" he hissed in pain, looking down to see the newly formed patch of blood on his shirt, sipping out from a small cut across his chest. He motioned to locate his attacker only to find three others with him, all armed and properly dressed in tight uniforms. _Welcoming party, huh? ...You're all going down._

Squall rushed for the closest soldier and swung his gunblade, aiming for his neck. Having guarded his attack, Squall quickly buried his fists in his guts, rendering the soldier helpless and stunned, writhing in pain and agony on the muddy soil. Another one came from behind but he was like a training dummy to the experienced SeeD. 

Tackling with the soldier, he succeeded in ripping the sword out from the combatant's grasp, flinging it to rid of another annoying pest behind with much ease. Concentrating on the now weaponless soldier, he thrust his gunblade through him mercilessly.  

There was only one left. Squall violently grabbed his collar and demanded in a crude manner.

"You're lucky to be alive. Now, be a good boy and tell me where you took Miss Heartilly and why."

"I'd tell you 'spit'!"

"Fine. So, I'll just take it you rather die here now, hm?" Squall threatened, brandishing his faithful gunblade. "You don't want to know the things I've done and been through."

"…Gah…Okay..okay…Just don't hurt me!"

"I'm a man of my word. Now, talk!"

"The girl is..is in a warehouse up front. Mr. Almasy gave us orders to…"

"Seifer?? That...! Ugh…Go on."

"He ordered us to kill you. W-We were sent to capture the girl but…But he never told us why..!"

"You're lying!" 

"It's true! I **swear** it's true! Don't kill me!" 

Seeing the frightened soldier begging for mercy reminded Squall of his younger days when he was defenseless and weak, a pitiful sight, indeed. 

_"You've taken so many lives. Why stain your hands more?"_  

_You stay out of this!_

"_You weren't always like this, Squall." _

"Leave me **alone**!!! Argh!" Squall panted heavily. He gazed at the soldier with unfocused eyes. "Give me your uniform." The feeble soldier nodded vehemently, trembling, treasuring his life more than anything.

"Go!...**now before I change my mind. The next time I see you with them, I won't let you off."**

"Thank you! Thank you…" the soldier called out as his voice trailed off.

Squall was alone surrounded by corpses, killed at his own hands. The uniform itself stank of sweat. Squall reluctantly draped the prim garb over himself and made his way in the direction the soldier had pointed. _Why the heck am I going through all this trouble for a measly girl like her? _

He found himself struggling to remember exactly how she looked like, her smile, her voice, her eyes. But the image was a blur, like a mottled, unfinished painting; its features unclear and faint. For the first time, Squall felt he actually had a reason to fight, or at least someone to protect. 

_Don't worry, Rinoa. I'm coming._

_***_

Seifer stood upright, staring at the confused girl from a window in the digital room, the slightest sign of concern evident on his pre-mature face. A ghostly glow emitting from the corner of the room ascertained that he was not alone in the curbed quarter. 

"What 'loyal' minions you have," mocked the shadowy silhouette. "They cherish their lives more than they cherish their allegiance with you. But they have failed their duty and therefore, deserve the consequences. The one that escaped, he won't go far. He will be brought back and receive his rightful punishment. What are you going to do now?"

"It does not matter. I have no more use for them. They've served their part. As for Squall, we should not worry much about him. This 'fortress' is like a maze. I can imagine Squall begging at my feet for a way out."

"Is it wise to underestimate your foe?"

"In this situation, I'm prepared for that. With guards, hidden cameras and booby traps in every corridor registered, even Squall will have a hard time getting pass all of them unscathed. I wouldn't be surprised if he dropped dead on the first step."

"I would."

"…(Sigh) Why do you **constantly drown my hopes in your cynical remarks? I don't need someone to tell me what to do. ****I'm not a boy anymore!"**

"But you are. Though your physic matures, your mind has not. For that reason, you need my guidance. And let us not forget who the **superior one is among us two. You are nothing but a grain of sand if I were to use force."**

"…I understand.." groused a defeated Seifer, a mysterious sparkle shimmering in his eyes. 

"Very good," scorned the half-concealed form. "I'll return and I expect the girl ready and the boy exterminated. The girl **must be rid of all happiness or it'll never work." The glow disappeared, giving the room back its original dull shade of white.**

As soon as the visitor was gone, Seifer muttered, "….Not if I can help it…." 

**A/N:**  See? Seifer's not a bad guy...at least in my story. I could make him mean and nasty if you want me to. Just say the word. I'm gonna add Zell into the plot soon and add more life into this story! Is that a good idea? Or maybe I should just leave him sick…hmm…


	6. Take Me Away

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, Final Fantasy 8 and its characters do not belong to me…

**A/N:** Hey, I'm back with another chapter! Holidays are soooo boring but its still much MUCH better than going to school. XD I really really hope you guys will like this chapter. I worked really hard on this chapter…okay..maybe not that hard…but still. It has the same title as the story (I know that sux. Dun hate me!) I'm sorry if the chapter was a drag cause I sorta rushed through it. Please review! 

tw1light: Haha! True. WHERE'S YOUR NEXT CHAPTER?? I'll be waiting..

Light_of_the_Moon: Gee, thanks! Hope I can keep up to your expectations!

Evan's Rinoa: Thanks! I'm so happy! XD

Jessi3: Hiii!! You reviewed!! 

(italics)     - Squall's thoughts 

"(italics)" - the voice that constantly irks Squall's thoughts.

'italics'     - Rinoa's thoughts

**Chapter 6 – Take me Away**

"He's here, sir. What are your orders?"

"Good. Let him come."

"P-Pardon, sir?"

"You heard me..! Let him come. I'll deal with him myself."

With that, he cut off the transmission and relaxed in his armchair and continued to watch the brunette SeeD on the screen. _Prove it to me. Show me how you've grown._

_***_

Squall was lost. It definitely looked like any other warehouse from the outside, but who would have thought that inside, it was a whole different story. The walls were affecting him; the florescent lights bouncing off the white parapets, causing refraction, blurring his vision and confusing him at the same time. He stumbled his way and somehow made his way to two more doors. A keypad of some sort lay innocently at their side.

His mind still hazy, he simply staggered up to the object and noticed a card key slot. Rummaging through the uniform's pockets, he pulled out what he thought was the piece of plastic and forced it into the opening. 

'..Verification…in…process...' 

Squall made an effort to focus on the 'card' he was holding, waiting for the doors to magically open in front of him  _…Oh no, _he thought as he realized what it was_…Crap!! Stupid credit card! Get out!! GE-_

'ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!'

_Got to find a place to hide! But where?!! Damn this place!_

He dashed behind a wall though it wouldn't provide much cover and waited for the rain of soldiers that would soon fall upon him. He imagined the hail of bullets that would penetrate him if he were to rush out. Suddenly, he heard fast footsteps coming his way! When the sounds were near enough, Squall quickly jumped out to ambush the soldier, ready to swing his gunblade down.

"AAHHHH!!!!!! Don't…DON'T hurt me!!!!" It was a girl's voice.

_Wha__..? _

***

"..and when the alarm sounded, we RAN and RAN and RAN. Then, we FOUND YOU!!"

"You mean to tell me, you guys were assigned to guard the room where Rinoa is being held??" Squall barked, "And you just left?!!"

"Don't blame Selphie. We were poking at the metals and bolts and we thought we did something wrong."

"…Whatever. How did you guys get here?"

"Irvine saw you tore away in that car, so we hitched one too!"

"Yeah, you were drawing too much attention from my girls. I just had to show them I could do that too!"

"Uh-huh. Too bad we got an outdated model of a motorcycle, though. It broke down almost every five minutes!"

"It wasn't fancy so we were able to go VROOM through the forest. (Whispers) We even stole some clothes from people who were sleeping on the ground. Tee-hee!"

_Oh…that.._

"Okay," mumbled Squall, "So do you remember the way to get there?"

"Are you kidding??"

"We didn't care! We just ran!!"

"(Sigh)" _Well, at least the door is unguarded now. _"Let's just start by going in that direction…" _Back to square one. I hate this. A lot._

-Walking and walking…-

"I just realized no one's after us even after the alarm incident," Irvine implied, looking back.

_You just noticed?_ "**That confirmed that we…I am here. They're most probably expecting me already."**

***

She hugged her legs and stifled a cry. "Don't cry..don't cry. I must be strong…" With no one to comfort her, she had to do it herself. "You mustn't let them see you cry." 

_'This wasn't suppose to happen. This wasn't..'_

Her thoughts were cut off when she turned to see the metallic doors slowly open. She cowered in fear and attempted to hide behind the bed. _'No! Please leave me alone! Please!'_

It was so quiet, even after the soldier had entered to execute his orders. The girl, though scared stiff with fear, mustered whatever feelings of resistance she had left (she had no more courage when her pillar of strength, the only thing left where hope lied, had turned against her)and rose a little from her 'hiding spot' to peep at her visitor. She gasped and hastily withdrew her shoulder as she felt a hand from out of the blue reach out to grab her. She refused to look at the invader and instead shouted cries of defiance.

"Rinoa.." came the voice, but it didn't sound threatening. Almost gentle. "Rinoa,…it's okay. We're here to help you. C'mon."

"W-why should I trust you..?"

"Whether you like it or not, we're here to get you out of here. We went through a lot just to find you and we won't stop now." He motioned to drag her by the arm.

"Wait. Who…are you?"

_If this is the only way to make her move…_ "I'm Squall, a SeeD. Special forces dispatched from gardens…" He groggily pulled off the stuffy headgear. "The guy you slapped."

Recognizing her rescuer, she smiled brightly before literally jumping on him and flung her arms around his neck, hugging him like there was no tomorrow. Squall blushed a little at the (good ^^)'virus's sudden 'attack', breaking through his defense. _She's gone through a lot… Wait a minute. Since when did I care? Not now, not ever. She's just a client. Nothing more. _

"…."

"What?"

"I'm scared."

_Of course you are. _

"..Take me away…far, far away…please? Promise me you won't leave me.."

"(Sigh) I promise. We better hurry if we want to go. They will be here any minute…" 

"Hm..sorry.."

Squall helped her up and hurriedly lugged Rinoa towards the entrance. Making sure the coast was clear, he cracked his brain to remember the right route out. "This way!"

Down the elevator…through the left corridor…down the stairs…and… "That's the last door. C'mon!"

BOOM! A steel wall came crashing down, blocking their path, a few steps away from their freedom

"Well, well, Squall. You're here at last. I was thinking maybe you had given up."

"Don't interfere, Seifer."

"But I must. It is my sole duty. Anything that gets in Adel's way must perish!" Seifer leapt from the top of the rubble and dived towards Squall with his gunblade.

"Go!" Squall shoved Rinoa out of the way and quickly defended himself. Squall could feel Seifer's improvement. The impact of the clash alone sent Squall to retreat . 

"Squall!" Selphie and Irvine appeared from the rear.

"Oh, so you've brought your underlings with you, Squall! Gah!"

"Selphie! Irvine! Stay away! Protect Rinoa!!" Squall commanded, concentrating on the exchange of fearsome blows. 

Missed. Blocked. Missed. Grazed. Counter. HIT! 

"Argh!" The gunblade slashed deep into his arm. Due to exhaustion and injury, he dropped to his knees with his gunbalde for support. 

Rinoa clasped her hands over her mouth and gasped. "No..!"

**A/N:** Well,….who do you think lost? ^^  Hmm…this chapter seems kinda short after I cut out some unnecessary information. Seeing that I mentioned that in another two days, Rinoa will be used for something, I suppose this story is going to end soon. After I'm done with this, I'm gonna write a sequel, mostly based on the love triangle Rinoa-Squall-Quistis. There's no guarantee I'll make it a SquallRinoa next time ^^. It's just an idea, though. Don't forget to leave a review on your way out! I love reviews! Long or short!! I love'em all!!


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